JULY KEY FIGURES
 | Trend estimates
| Seasonally adjusted estimates
| |
| Jul 2004 | Jun 2004 to Jul 2004 | Jul 2004 | Jun 2004 to Jul 2004 | |
| |
| Value of dwelling commitments(a) | $m | % change | $m | % change | |
| Total dwellings | 15,427 | 0.2 | 15,520 | 3.2 | |
| Owner occupied housing | 10,050 | 1.0 | 10,162 | 3.3 | |
| Investment housing - fixed loans(b) | 5,377 | -1.1 | 5,359 | 3.0 | |
| Number of dwelling commitments(a) | no. | % change | no. | % change | |
| Owner occupied housing | 48,714 | -0.1 | 49,206 | 1.8 | |
| Construction of dwellings | 4,697 | -2.2 | 4,585 | -2.4 | |
| Purchase of new dwellings | 1,838 | 1.2 | 1,859 | 2.1 | |
| Purchase of established dwellings | 42,179 | 0.1 | 42,762 | 2.2 | |
| |
| (a) Includes refinancing. |
| (b) Excludes revolving credit. |
Housing finance, Value of dwellings
| Owner occupied housing finance, Number of dwellings
|
JULY KEY POINTS
TREND ESTIMATES
- Total value of dwelling finance commitments rose by 0.2% in July 2004, the first increase in this series since September 2003. Owner occupied housing increased by 1.0% in July 2004, the fourth consecutive month of slight increases. Investment housing decreased in July 2004 (down 1.1%) for the tenth consecutive month.
- The number of housing finance commitments for owner occupation declined by 0.1% in July 2004, while the number excluding refinancing remained virtually unchanged.
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES
- Total value of housing finance commitments rose by 3.2% in July 2004, following decreases in the previous two months. This rise was due to increases in both investment housing commitments (up 3.0%) and owner occupied housing commitments (up 3.3%).
- The number of housing finance commitments for owner occupied housing increased by 1.8% in July 2004, following decreases in eight of the past nine months. The number excluding refinancing increased by 2.0%
ORIGINAL ESTIMATES
- The percentage of first home buyer commitments increased for the fourth consecutive month after the record low in March 2004, increasing to 15.3% in July 2004, reflecting changed stamp duty arrangements for first home buyers in most states.
NOTES
CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE
Incorporation of final survey data has resulted in significant revisions to dwelling commitments for June 2004. The revisions were mainly to established dwelling finance and have increased total housing finance commitments (seasonally adjusted) for June from 47,122 to 48,346.
In the May 2004 issue, estimated revisions were made for August 2003 to February 2004 for the number and value of owner occupied housing commitments by purpose and type of loan. Estimates have been replaced by final values in this issue.
INQUIRIES
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Darren Page on Canberra (02) 6252 6731.
SUMMARY COMMENTARY
HOUSING FINANCE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
DWELLINGS FINANCED
Value of Dwellings Financed
The total value of dwelling commitments excluding alterations and additions (seasonally adjusted) increased by 3.2% in July 2004, following decreases in the previous two months. The total housing finance trend rose by 0.2% in July 2004, the first increase since September 2003.
The total value of owner occupied commitments (seasonally adjusted) rose by 3.3% in July 2004, following slight decreases in the previous two months. Increases in the purchase of established dwellings excluding refinancing (up 4.9%), the purchase of new dwellings (up 3.0%) and refinancing of established dwellings (up 1.7%) were offset partially by a decrease in construction of dwellings (down 1.5%). The trend series in the value of owner occupied commitments rose by 1.0% in July.
The seasonally adjusted series for value of investment housing commitments (including finance for construction and finance for rent or resale) increased by 3.0% in July 2004, after three consecutive monthly decreases. There were increases in purchase of dwellings for rent or resale by others (up 19.5%), purchase of dwellings for rent or resale by individuals (up 1.8%) and construction of dwellings for rent or resale (up 0.2%). The trend series in total value of investment commitments fell 1.1%.
INVESTMENT HOUSING - TOTAL
Number of Owner Occupied Dwellings Financed
The number of owner occupied dwelling commitments (seasonally adjusted) increased by 1.8% in July 2004 after a revised 1.5% decrease in June. The increase was mainly due to the purchase of established dwellings excluding refinancing (up 748, 2.7%) and refinancing of established dwellings (up 185, 1.3%). Purchase of new dwellings (up 39, 2.1%) also increased while there was a decrease in construction of dwellings (down 112, -2.4%).
The total owner occupied housing finance trend fell by 0.1% in July 2004, continuing its decline since September 2003 but at a decelerating rate for the sixth successive month.
Increases were recorded in seasonally adjusted terms in Victoria (up 584, 5.4%), WA (up 109, 1.7%), NSW (up 100, 0.7%), SA (up 57, 1.4%), NT (up 47, 10.8%) and ACT (up 3, 0.4%). These increases were partially offset by large decrease in Queensland (down 591, -5.7%) and a decrease in Tasmania (down 15, -1.4%). The trend increased in all states and territories except SA, Tasmania and WA.
In original terms, the average loan size for owner occupied housing commitments was $206,700 in July 2004, up $5000 on the previous month. First home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing commitments was 15.3%, the fourth consecutive monthly increase since the record low of 12.8% in March 2004. The percentage of commitments at a fixed rate of interest (for at least two years) decreased for the eighth successive month from 6.8% in June 2004 to 6.6% in July 2004.
Number of Owner Occupied Dwellings Financed Excluding Refinancing
The number of owner occupied dwellings financed excluding refinancing (seasonally adjusted) rose by 2.0% in July 2004, after a 2.5% decrease in June. The trend remained static in July after falling in the ten preceding months.
PURPOSE OF FINANCE (OWNER OCCUPATION)
Construction of dwellings
The seasonally adjusted number of construction commitments for owner occupation fell by 2.4% in July 2004, after a 5.8% fall in June. The trend series fell 2.2% in July 2004, the tenth successive month of trend decline.
Purchase of new dwellings
The number of finance commitments for the purchase of new dwellings for owner occupation (seasonally adjusted) rose by 2.1% in July 2004, after an increase of 3.5% in June 2004. The trend series rose 1.2% in July 2004, the third consecutive month of increasing trend commitments.
Purchase of established dwellings
The seasonally adjusted established dwelling for owner occupation series increased by 2.2% in July 2004, after decreases in eight of the nine previous months. The trend increased slightly by 0.1% in July 2004, following nine consecutive months of trend decline.
Refinancing
The number of refinancing commitments for owner occupied housing (seasonally adjusted) rose by 1.3% in July 2004, the second successive month of increasing commitments. The trend fell 0.3% in July 2004, continuing its decline since October 2003 but at a decelerating rate for the fifth successive month.
NUMBER OF OWNER OCCUPIED DWELLINGS FINANCED BY TYPE OF LENDER
Banks
After declines in eight of the previous nine months in seasonally adjusted terms, bank lending commitments for owner occupied housing increased by 2.5% (up 906) in July 2004. The trend increased slightly by 0.2% in July 2004, following nine consecutive months of trend decline.
Non-banks
Non-bank commitments for owner occupied housing (seasonally adjusted) decreased for the tenth consecutive month in July 2004, falling by 0.4%. Wholesale lenders were down 1.7% while permanent building societies were up 5.8%. The non-bank trend series fell by 1.0% in July 2004.
HOUSING LOAN OUTSTANDINGS
At the end of July 2004, housing loans outstanding of authorised deposit-taking institutions was $472 736m, up $4 942m (1.1%) from June's closing balance. Owner occupied housing loans increased by $3 156m (1.0%) to close at $313 445m, while investment housing loans outstanding increased by $1 786m (1.1%) to reach a closing balance of $159 291m.
Bank loans increased by $4 924m (1.1%) during July to a closing stock of $444 905m. Owner occupied housing loans of banks increased by $3 074m (1.1%) to $291 237m, while investment housing loans increased $1 850m (1.2%) to $153 668m.
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